Pulsing machine



April 26, 1932. gw s 1,855,603

PULSING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY James 0. L err/.5

ATTORNEY April 26, 1932. J. o. LEWIS 1,85 0

PULSING MACHINE Filed Jun 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 v 56 05 69 09 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1932 JAMES '0. OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA PULSING MACHINE Application filed June 18,

My invention relates to repressuring of oil U mediums, such as air and natural gas to the sands, as to preclude formation of a combustible mixture of said mediums within the service equipment and flow lines.

It is well known by .those experienced in this art that gas is more readily soluble in oil than in air, but that .air has a greater propelling effect on oil-in the sands, and that consequently a mixture of air andgas would be more effective for repressuring if such mixture could .be employed. However, such a mixture is dangerous unless theproportions of air and gasare kept outside the ratio at which they "forma'combustible mixture, due to a tendency of explosion should the combustible mixture become ignited through sparks resulting from contact of pieces. of metal or flinty substances in the oil with the walls of the apparatus.

hile air and natural gas are of different specific gravities,,they may be conducted through a conduit in alternate slugs and under high pressure without substantial .mixture except within limited areas at the junctures of the slugs, and'by so employing these difi'erent mediums I am able to effect-a more advantageous repressuring ,than with either medium alone and with slight danger of explosion due to ignition of a mixture of the two.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to so employ both air and gas that both may be utilized for repressuring oil sands without danger of explosion and inaccomplishing this object I have provided apparatus whereby the air andgas may be delivered in alternate slugs through the same conduit under automatic 'control,vthe accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred form of apparatus .embodylng my 1 invention Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus in combination with air and gas compressors, supply lines and pressure wells.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section of the apparatus.

1929. .Serial 1%. 69,513.

Fig. '3 is a plan View of the-apparatus.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

land 2 designate compressors ofconventional typeadapted for-receiving air and gas through the respective intakes 3 and 4; the

air intake 3 being preferably filtered by means not shown, and the gas intake 4: connected with the casing heads of oil producing wells orwith natural gas wells --(-notj shown).=.

5 designates a feed 'line' through pressuremedium is conducted to one or more wells '6 for distribution 'to the oil sands 'repressuring, and 7 a separate line for conducting the medium to another well or group ing sands serving a different, group (if producingwe'lls (not shown) at a distance lfrom that served byithe well 6. I

9 designates control apparatus, designated of wells indicated by the well '8 for repressura pulsing machine, whereby charges of 70 and gas are delivered alternately and in continuous flow to both groups of wells anid which embodiesthe following details of construction:

10 and 11 designate duplicate four-way fittings, the lower branches of which .are closed by plates 12 and 13 attached to the flanges I L-15 of the fittings by bolts 16- 437,,

and made air or gas-tight by packing. 18l9; the fittings 10 and '11 forming the base elements upon which the pulsing ma chine may be supported on a suitable foundation 20.

The branch 21 of the fitting .10 connects with the line 5 :leading to the pressure wvell 6 through a flange connection 22 madeair and gas-tight by conventional packing. Branch '24: communicates with the branch '25 of the fitting 11 through an air and gas-tight connection indicated by the flanges 26-27, em

-bolts 28 and packing 29. The branch 31 constitutes a dead end, closed "by a plate 32 having air and gas-tight connection withithe branch through the flanges 33 34, bolts 35 and packing 36. The branches 38- 39 of the respective fittings 10'11 rise therefrom, and mounted on said branches are heads 40 and 41 which are duplicates of each other in construction, but connected respectively with the separate air and gas compressors 1 and 2, as presently disclosed, the respectii e branches being provided with flanges 42-43, seating flanges 44-45 of the headers 40-41, and connected thereto by bolts 46-47.

Interposed between the branch and header flanges are valve plates 48-49 having central, vertical ports 50-51; the connections, includingthe ,valve plates, being made air and gas-tight by packing (not shown).

Supported on the upper ends of the headers 40-41 are four-way fittings 52-53which are duplicates of the base fittings 10-11, and therefore duplicates of each other, the lower branches 54-55 of which are attached to the respective headers by bolts 56-57 that extend through flanges 58-59 and 60-61 on the fittings and headers, respectively.

Interposed between the fitting and header flanges and attached thereto by the bolts 56-57 are valve plates 62-63 which are duplicates of the lower valve plates 50-51, and have ports 64-65 registering with the ports 50 and 51 in said lower plates.

i he branch 66 of fitting 52'is dead ended by a plate 67.attache'd to a flange "68 on the fitting bybolts 69., :Branch 71 of the fitting 53 "communicates with the conduit 7 leading to'the pressure well 8 through-a gas and airtight connection indicated by the flanges The branches 76-77 of the upper fittings 52-53 communicate with each other throu h an air and gas-tight connection indicated hy theflanges 78-79 and bolts 80.

ttached to the upper vertical branches 82-83 of said upper fittings are plates 84-85 having air and gas-tight connection v with their supporting branches through flanges 86-87, bolts 88 and packing 89.

Extending through stuffing boxes 90-91 on the plates 84 and 85, and concentrically through the ports 64-65 and 50-51 in the valve plates 62-63 and 48-49, respectively,

at the top and bottom of the headers 40-41,

. are valve stems 92 and 93, attached by nuts '94 at the1r upper ends to a cross-head 95 having guided mounting on the reduced ends 96-97 of posts 98 and 99, having threaded mounting in the respective cover plates 84-85; the posts having stops 100- .101'for limiting downward movement of .the cross-head under tension of springs 102-103, attached to the cross-head and to the upper fittings 52-53, preferably by hooks' 104-105, attached to the flanges 68-72 by bolts 69 and 74.

Fixed to the reduced ends 96 and 97 of said posts 98 and 99 are upper stop members 106-107 which limit upward movement of the cross-head against thetension of said springs under influence of a pneumatic lift consisting of a rod 108 attached to the crosshead'by nuts 109 and extendinglthrough a stufling box 110 on a diaphragm ousing 111 to the interior of said housing where it is tached to flanges 136-137 by bolts 138, and

communication with a constant supply of pressure medium, preferably the flow line from the air or gas compressor 1 or 2, through a line 144, as presently more specifically mentioned, the controller being of a conventional type, time controlled to supply pressure medium: to the diaphragm at regular'intervals which may be determined by an adjustment with which such controllers are equipped.

Referring .back to the header elements 5 40-41 ofthe pulsing apparatus, -121 designates branches opening to the respective headers through ports 122-123 and ,-connected' respectively with the lines 124-125 leading, from the air and gas compressors by the usual air and gas-tight connections in- .dicated to be the flanges 126-127-l28-129,

the bolts 130, and the packing .131, so that when the apparatus'is, in operation air is'delivered to the header. 40 from the compressor 1, and gas to the header 41 from the compressor 2. The headers are preferably in the nature of four-way unions with ,the branches 132-133 dead ended by p1ates'134-135 at- .100 provided with the usual packing 139.

Referring again to the mechanism controlling flow of air and gas through the pulsing machine 9, 140-141 designate reversely arranged valves, preferably of castellated 2 type, fixed on the stem 92 and adapted for such cooperation with the valve ports'64 and 50 that when one port is open the other is closed, and vice versa, Fig. 2 illustrating the upper port open and the lower port closed so that air entering the header 40 through port 122 is precluded from passing into the fitting 21 for delivery into line 5 leading to the well 6, but may pass through the fitting 52 and fitting 53 into the line 7 leading to the well 8. Fixed to the other valve stem 93 are similar valves 142-143 arranged reversely relative to each other, and to the valves on the stem 92, so that when the valves are in the position indicated in Fig. 2 and air is flowing to the wells 8, gas entering the header 41 through port 123 is precluded from entering the fitting 53 to mix with air, but may pass through port 51, fitting 11, fitting 10, and line 5 to the well 6.

Assuming the apparatus to be constructed and assembled as described, and starting with the valves of the pulsing machine in the position indicated in Fig. 2, i.' e., with the-controller 119 supplying gas or air under pressure to the diaphragm 112 and with the compressors in operation, air is delivered through the header 40, through the open valve port 64 and through the upper fittings into line 7, through which it is delivered to the well 8, and as from the compressor 2 is delivered througn the header 41, open valve port 51 and the communicating fittings into line 5, through which it is delivered to the well 6; the air and gas flowing through the different lines being kept separate by the valve mechanism within the pulsing machine; The air and gas continue to flow to the respective wells through the separate lines for a period determined by adjustment of the controller 119, but at the end of the set interval the controller cuts ofi' supply of air to the diaphragm, and the springs 102-103 retract the cr0ss-head 94, shifting the valve stems to reverse arangement of the valves in the separate headers.

Upon reversal of the valve seatings, air admitted to header 40 through port 122 will then flow through the port 50 to fitting 21 and line 5 and to the well 6, and gas entering the header 41 through port 123 will flow through port 65 and fitting 53 to line 7, through which it is delivered to the well 8.

Thus the air and gas are delivered continuously through one or the other of the lead lines to one or the other pressure wells without intermingling in the control apparatus or lines, the periods of alternate flow of the different mediums being determined by adjustment of the regulator, but after adjustment continuing in such. alternation and for like periods without necessitating manual control.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Leters Patent 1. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spaced headers having parallel individual inlets, a common outlet on one end of the headers, a common outlet on the opposite ends of the headers, and valve means in the headers for selectively directing flow of fluid from a header to either of the outlets.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spaced headers having individual inlets. a common outlet connected to one end of the headers, a valve plate interposed between each of the headers and said outlet, a common outlet connected to the opposite ends of the headers, a valve plate interposed between each of the headers and said last-named outlet, 21 double-acting valve in each header adapted to cooperate with the valve plates, and means for actuating the valves for selectively directing flow of fluid from a header to either of the outlets.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spaced headers having individual inlets, a common outlet connected to one end of the headers, a valve plate interposed between each of the headers and said outlet, a common outlet connected to the opposite ends of the headers, a valve plate interposed between each of the headers and said last-named outlet, a single stem extending concentrically through the plates of each header, a pair of valves fixed on each stem in spaced relation and adapted to respectively cooperate with said plates, and means for actuating said stem to operate the valves.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spaced headers having individual inlets on a common side of the headers, a common outlet on one end of the headers, a common outlet on the opposite ends of the headers, and valve means in the headers for selectively directing flow of fluid from a header to either of the outlets.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spaced headers, each header having individual inlets on opposite sides thereof, flow lines for supplying fluid to the headers, means for connecting the flow lines to either side of the headers, a common outlet on one end of the headers, a common voutlet on the opposite ends of the headers, and valve means in the headers for selectively directing flow of fluid from a header to either of the outlets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES O. LEWIS. 

